Bluefish watch: Hinshaw to join Bridgeport

Updated 12:36 am, Friday, June 21, 2013

HINSHAW SIGNED: The Bluefish continue to look for answers to help their pitching staff. This time they have turned to former big-league left-hander Alex Hinshaw.

Hinshaw will join the team today and will be used in relief, the area where the Bluefish have been hit with a number of injuries this season.

"He's willing to just take the ball," Bluefish Director of Baseball Operations Paul Herrmann said. "He wants to get as many innings as he can because, obviously, everyone's goal here is to get back to affiliated, and he wants to get in and prove himself. So he's a guy that looks like he's going to be a bulldog and just take the ball when we need him to."

Hinshaw, 30, has made a combined 90 appearances in the big leagues with the San Francisco Giants (2008-09), San Diego Padres (2012) and Chicago Cubs (2012). He appeared in 31 games for the Padres last season, registering a 4.50 ERA, 36 strikeouts and 20 walks in 28 innings.

Walks have been an issue for Hinshaw, who has a career 3.83 ERA in nine seasons in the minor leagues with 413 strikeouts and 243 walks in 333 1/3 innings.

"There's a little concern about his control," Herrmann said. "But (manager Willie Upshaw's) pretty confident that (pitching coach Pat Ahearne's) going to be able to work with him and just get him some innings here, get him comfortable and certainly help out this bullpen."

Hinshaw began this season at Class AAA Buffalo in the Toronto Blue Jays' organization, where he was 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA, 16 strikeouts and 17 walks in 11 innings. He was released May 10 and signed with the Somerset Patriots May 31.

With the Patriots, Hinshaw allowed one run on one hit and four walks in two appearances before being released June 13.

"Basically, we're looking at potential over risk here," Herrmann said. "And we think he's got a ton of potential. Good strikeout guy. So we need that arm, especially a left-hander in the bullpen. We've been looking for that all year."